Pearson Reveals The Tony Duquette Collection
Furniture World News Desk on
3/21/2018
Pearson Upholstery recently announced that at this spring's International Home Furnishings Market, they will reveal the Tony Duquette Collection. This collection of sculptural upholstery has the distinction of being the first licensed collection for Pearson. In collaboration with the esteemed Hutton Wilkinson, President of Tony Duquette Inc., the talented Pearson team has created a luxurious collection of sofas, banquettes, chairs and cocktail ottomans that were reproduced or adapted from custom made pieces created for the homes of Tony Duquette and Hutton Wilkinson. Considered masters of maximalism, these two men have impacted the world of interior design for decades with exuberant installations for clients such as Doris Duke, J. Paul Getty, Vincent Minnelli, Miss Elizabeth Arden, Herb Albert and John and Dodie Rosekranz.
Dawnridge, the home of Tony and Elizabeth Duquette, is one of the finest examples of maximalism in the United States. Next door, Hutton and Ruth Wilkinson designed and constructed a fabulous high ceilinged home that is also in the maximalist taste although updated and modern.
Hutton Wilkinson recalls that Syrie Maugham once told Tony Duquette “That a sofa should never look like a sofa but rather, should look like a rich pile of stuffs and carpets piled high on the prow of a pirate’s ship.”
Pearson has always been considered a destination for couture upholstery and luxurious fabrics. Over the past few years, the Pearson team have boldly updated the brand’s identity along with refinement to its furniture styles while adding elegant textile offerings. “While Pearson is steeped in history and tradition,” states Parker Goss, Vice President of Merchandising, “we see Pearson as an elegant lady who loves fashion, style and elegant fabrics.” He continues, “We are confident that interior designers will fall in love with the beauty and elegance of the Tony Duquette Collection. We look forward to applying their one-of-a-kind fabric, leather and trimmings to these new pieces that are made by our talented team of craftsmen in our Hickory workroom.”
More about Tony Duquette & Hutton Wilkinson: Duquette was discovered by Elsie de Wolfe, Lady Mendl who was considered by her peers to be the First Lady of interior design as well as an international arbiter of taste. Through the patronage of Sir Charles and Lady Mendl, Duquette established himself as a leading designer in Los Angeles, where he worked prolifically for the film Industry, creating beautiful costumes and settings for many Metro Goldwyn Mayer productions under the auspices of the great producer, Arthur Freed and the celebrated director, Vincente Minnelli. Duquette won a Tony award for “Best Costume” for the original Broadway production of “Camelot” starring Julie Andrews and Richard Burton. His commercial and public spaces are well known, notably the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Sheraton Universal Hotel, sculptures and tapestries for the Ritz Carlton, Chicago and the three theaters at the Los Angeles Music Center.
It was during the ten years that Tony was mentored by Lady Mendl that he met and married the beautiful and talented artist, Elizabeth Johnstone who he nicknamed “Beegle” because she embodied ‘the industry of the bee and the soaring poetry of the eagle’. They married at a private ceremony with America’s sweetheart, Mary Pickford attending as matron of honor and Academy Award winning actor, Buddy Rogers, standing as Tony’s best man. A veritable who’s who of Hollywood attended the reception including Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo, Fred Astaire and Vincente Minnelli. The young couple, whose particular talents complimented each other’s, collaborated on many design commissions together and were sought out as an attractive addition to the Hollywood social scene.
Seeing beauty and with an insatiable love of design, Tony rescued architectural artifacts from demolitions and scavenged natural objects including sea shells, feathers and antlers to create his works. A visionary, he incorporated found objects to create incredible sculptures, screens, lighting and furniture forms for his clients. The first and only American to be honored with a one man exhibition at the Louvre, Paris. He later had the opportunity for an apprentice to help him with another one man museum exhibition in 1972. Seventeen year old Hutton Wilkinson immediately volunteered for this important opportunity simultaneously leaving his school and his job. After two years, Duquette hired Hutton and for the next three years they created maximalist inspired interiors for clients around the world.
Hutton started his own firm in 1977 but continued to collaborate with Duquette for the next 25-years ultimately becoming business partners. In 1998 Duquette and Wilkinson launched a collection of one-of-a-kind jewelry through Bergdorf Goodman in New York that was immediately successful. Wilkinson has continued designing these jeweled creations which are sold exclusively through Neiman Marcus stores across America.
Upon Duquettes death in 1999 at age 85, Wilkinson, as owner, creative director and president of Tony Duquette Inc., continues to design and market not only jewelry, but also textiles for Jim Thompson Thai Silk, lighting with Remains Lighting, carpets with Patterson-Flynn-Martin, tabletop accessories and dishes with Mottahedeh and interior decorations under the registered international trademark, “Tony Duquette” and Tony Duquette Inc. This spring, Wilkinson will introduce fine upholstery through Pearson Upholstery along with accessories, lighting and furniture through Maitland-Smith.
The world headquarters for Tony Duquette, Inc. is located at “Dawnridge” where Tony and his beloved wife, Beegle, lived and is now owned by Wilkinson. Wilkinson and his wife Ruth live next door in a house they constructed as a part of the “Dawnridge” compound. This magnificent modern structure, like Dawnridge, delights and overwhelms one with its exuberant maximalist interior.
Through his desire to share the beauty and luxury of the inspirational life work of Duquette, Hutton has published a series of books including, “Tony Duquette”, “More is More – Tony Duquette”. “Tony Duquette Hutton Wilkinson Jewelry” and “The Walk to Elsie’s”. His new book, “Dawnridge” will be published by Abrams in Fall, 2018.
More about Pearson: Pearson produces meticulously crafted, premium upholstered furniture for residential and commercial interior designers and consumers worldwide. Founded in 1941, Pearson is renowned for hallmark custom offerings, exclusive upholstery designs and inspirational textiles, leather and trims. Pearson is based in Hickory, North Carolina. Hickory Chair, Pearson and Maitland-Smith make up the Luxury Group of Heritage Home Group whose stellar portfolio also includes Thomasville, Drexel and Henredon and the Broyhill brand.